Tag: money

On today’s episode of Everything is Terrible and Money’s the Worst, we present to you yet another celebrity atrocity.

When it comes to melting Amex cards, few do it better than the celebs we all love to resent with every fiber of our being. While we’re over here pinching pennies so that we don’t have to start eating cat food, they’re out living painfully lavish lives just ’cause.

Before we get into the thing that’s going to make you throw any hope you had left to the wind, let’s think for a moment about what someone could buy with, say, $800.

But celebrities are over here like, “Forget all that. I need drop exorbitant amounts of money on something I could easily grab at Target.” Ladies and gentlemen, meet the infamous $800 sweatshirts by VÊTEMENTS.

Not everything produced by the brand, which is directed by Demna Gvasalia, is a complete and utter waste. In fact, the design house’s offbeat take on high fashion typically yields beautiful results. Even I must admit that this hoodie looked pretty fierce when it hit the runway.

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But fierce enough for me to give up my half of the rent this month? Absolutely not. I think it’s safe to say, however, that these stars don’t see things the way I do. What’s up, Kanye?

Later that day, Kylie Jenner cried golden tears into her $30 açaí bowl on national television, because her struggle is “literally so real.”

Oh, and guess what. Both of these sweatshirts are completely sold out. Let that sink in.

Am I bitter? Absolutely! Do I wish that I was in a financial position that made spending $800 on leisure clothes seem like a good idea? Yup. Sadly for me (and basically everyone else), that’s probably not in the cards. If you need me, I’ll be in the throes of an existential crisis or something.

Don’t lie, we’ve all doodled on money before even though we’re not supposed to. However, those doodles pale in comparison to the money art created by James Charles.

In his latest series American Iconomics, Charles’ canvass is real U.S. money where he transforms the historical figures on our money into pop culture icons. His work is seriously creative, just wait until you see #17.

In Hollywood, there’s an unspoken rule that the bigger the star, the bigger the paycheck. And while most celebrities can make a killing by starring in a box-office smash, not everyone can (or wants to) break out into the movies. In fact, actors, actresses, and TV personalities are proving that television might just be where the real money’s at.

In a recent report from Variety, the top-earning men and women in television were broken down into three categories: drama, comedy, and reality/host/news. Some of the celebs below may come as no surprise, but I bet you can’t guess the daytime star that tops the list as the highest-paid person in television.

1. Sofia Vergara – $250,000 per episode

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Since 2009, Vergara has portrayed Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on ABC’s smash-hit comedy “Modern Family,” which is now in its eighth season. This Colombian-American actress rakes in an estimated $6 million per season.

2. Kevin Spacey – $500,000 per episode

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Netflix has given traditional broadcast television a run for its money over the last decade, and it’s really beginning to show. Kevin Spacey stars in the lead role of the streaming service’s Emmy-winning drama “House of Cards,” and each season, he walks away with $6.5 million.

3. Ellen DeGeneres – $20 million per year

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Since starting her own daytime talk show in 2003, Ellen DeGeneres has been serving up witty jokes and laughing her way to the bank. Not including her numerous endorsement deals, this hysterical comedian takes home an estimated $20 million a year. Not too shabby!

4. Matt Lauer – $22-25 million per year

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Matt Lauer has been delighting viewers as a co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” show since 1997. Now in his 19th year with the program, Lauer brings home between $22-25 million per year for his early-morning antics.

5. Jim Parsons – $1 million per episode

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Parsons is known for playing the egocentric Sheldon Cooper on CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory,” now in its tenth season. Parsons, along with fellow cast members Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki, make an estimated $1 million per episode.

But you might be surprised to learn that the person earning the most money on television is…Judge Judy.

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Judge Judy Sheindlin might just be the hardest-working woman on TV, and her earnings certainly reflect that. America’s favorite small claims court judge makes a whopping $47 million a year. With an income like that, who are we to judge?

Who couldn’t use a little extra cash? Whether you’re paying pesky bills, planning a dream vacation, or constructing that bed of money you only see in movies and TV, it’s safe to say we often think about what it would be like to have a few extra zeros in our bank statements.

A sense of financial security is something people pine for in a shaky economy and job market. There are many ways people try to gain security, from playing the lottery to playing the stock market. In the case of Eric Hale of Oregon, he played the lottery and won. But his story doesn’t conclude in the financial ruin and bankruptcy that seems to plague big lottery winners.

Perhaps hoping to do a little traveling himself, Quinn put part of his half of the lotto winnings towards a motor home.

Both Eric and Quinn decided to use their portions to pay for their respective graduate degrees. Goodbye, student loan debt.

Even if we’re not all big lottery winners, we can still take something from where Eric and Quinn decided to put their money. Travel and education are two of the most enriching and rewarding ways to spend our money. Both have immense benefits to us and those around us. The Hale brothers are a fine example to follow for how to spend wisely.